Most Popular Ask Lifehacker Posts Of 2015

Ask Lifehacker is a daily feature where we attempt to answer reader questions covering every topic imaginable. This year harvested a varied crop, ranging from the legalities of flying drones over neighbour’s property to whether you need to poop every day to stay healthy. Without further ado, here are the ten biggest Ask LH posts from 2015.

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Ask LH: What Podcasts Should I Be Listening To?

Dear Lifehacker, Could you recommend some podcasts to me? I’ve been listening to This American Life, TED and Radiolab and want to broaden my horizons with some fresh content. I’m most interested in podcasts in mp3 format as I like to download them to my phone for later listening (no internet connection required). Easy Listener

Ask LH: What’s The Best DVD Player Software For Windows 10?


Hey Lifehacker, Since Windows 10 seems to lack a built-in DVD playing capability, what alternatives are there? Anything useful in the “universal app” space yet? DVD Will Never Die

Ask LH: How Far Above And Below My Land Is Legally Mine?


Dear Lifehacker, I own my own property in Australia. I was wondering how much space directly above and below my land legally belongs to me? For example, do I own the land all the way down to the centre of the Earth, or does it become government/public property after a few feet? Likewise, does the airspace above my house technically belong to me? If so, how far up? Moleman

Ask LH: Do I Need To Poop Every Day?


Dear Lifehacker, According to Metamucil and other high-fibre products, I’m supposed to squeeze out a Number 2 once per day to remain “regular”. Personally, I don’t go that often and I don’t seem to be suffering for it. So here’s my question: Is remaining “regular” actually important to my health, or is it just a ploy to sell supplements I don’t need? Ain’t Got Time For This Sh*t

Ask LH: Should I Buy An iPhone 4S In 2015?


Hi Lifehacker, I am trying to find a good cheap smartphone for around $200. Right now the iPhone 4S seems like a good option, though I realise there’s a risk it will not be able to run iOS 9 when that appears at the end of this year. Is it a good idea to get a refurbished iPhone? iHope

Ask LH: Can I Bill My ISP For A Broken Internet Connection?

Dear Lifehacker, I’m currently having internet problems with Optus and the technician is only able to come later next week. As such, I’ll be out of service for around nine days, if not more. (Yeah, yeah: first world problems.) So my question is: am I entitled to get some kind of credit for the time I have “lost” on my contract? Also, if I’m on Optus for my mobile and use it for tethering, should I be able to credit the data usage over this time? David in Bondi

Ask LH: Are Diet Microwave Dinners Actually Healthy?


Dear Lifehacker, I’ve decided I want to get healthier and shed some excess weight. I’m pretty time-poor, so I’ll be mainly relying on diet microwave dinners from the supermarket (Weight Watchers, Lean Cuisine, McCain Healthy Choice, etc.) My question is: will these products actually help me lose weight? And are they considered healthy? Bikini Unready

Ask LH: Can I Stop My Neighbour From Flying His Drone Over My House?


Dear Lifehacker, our neighbour has a drone equipped with a camera. We have not given him permission to film our residential property and have previously told him we feel it’s an invasion of our privacy. Today at approximately 3pm, he was within one metre of our rear deck (not visible from street). In addition to possibly filming us, the drone was quite noisy. Is this noise pollution? Is it trespassing? An invasion of privacy? Please help! Drone Hater

Ask LH: How Can I Protect My PC From Ransomware?


Dear Lifehacker, It was recently reported on the ABC that hundreds of Australian computers are being infected with ransomware, which I guess is a form of the cryptlocker virus. It seems that this problem is becoming more widespread. My question is: how can I prevent my computer from being targeted? And is there anything I can do if it’s already too late? Viral Prone

Ask LH: Why Won’t My Smart TV Connect Wirelessly?


Hey Lifehacker, Our Samsung smart TV will not connect to our Linksys Wi-Fi router/modem. The TV keeps displaying the message “unable to find a network”, but our iPad and Mac can connect fine. Any suggestions? Unget Smart


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